Who do you think is most responsible for the outcome of this year's pay settlement?
- The government (41%, 493 Votes)
- Individual staff (for not fighting hard enough) (23%, 281 Votes)
- Union leaders (19%, 222 Votes)
- Employers (9%, 108 Votes)
- I'm happy with the settlement (8%, 95 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,199
Loading ...This year’s local government pay deal has been agreed after the biggest union failed to gain a sufficient mandate to take effective strike action.
UNISON said it had agreed to employers’ pay offer to staff in England, Wales and Northern Ireland for 2024-25 because of a relatively low turnout in its ballot for industrial action.
GMB members have already backed the deal, meaning there is sufficient union support for the deal to be implemented.
The third union, Unite, also balloted for industrial action and said it would carry out localised walkouts in areas where it had obtained a mandate to strike, however, this will not stop the deal going through.
This year’s pay deal
As a result, this year’s salary increase – backdated to April 2024 – will be in council staff’s pay packets next month or as soon as possible thereafter. The deal amounts to pay rises of:
- £1,290 or 2.5%, whichever is higher, for staff outside of London.
- £1,491 or 2.5%, whichever is higher, for staff in outer London.
- £1,575 or 2.5%, whichever is higher, for staff in inner London.
The deal applies to staff working in councils covered by the National Joint Council for Local Government Services (NJC) – the vast majority of authorities in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The settlement is worth 3-4% for social workers, similar to the deal received by practitioners in Scotland, and above the rate of inflation in the UK, which has ranged between 1.7% and 2.3% since April of this year according to the government’s preferred consumer prices index (CPI) measured.
However, it is less than the 5.5% received by NHS social workers in England and Wales.
‘Not enough voted in strike ballot’
UNISON head of local government Mike Short said: “Not enough workers voted in the recent strike ballot, so UNISON has accepted an increase of £1,290 for all relevant staff in schools and local government.”
Under the law, trade unions need half of eligible members to take part in an industrial action ballot, with a majority of those turning out voting in favour, to secure a mandate to strike for a given employer.
Though UNISON, nationally, has not published the results of the ballot, which took place from 4 September to 16 October 2024, its Sandwell General branch reported that, in England and Wales, 80% of those voting to take action, but on a turnout of just 29%.
Of the 4,093 employers for which ballots were run, a total which includes local authorities and schools, the 50% threshold was reached in 682 – though UNISON has declined to take industrial action in these areas.
‘Priority to get money in wage packets’
Short added: “The pay award will be backdated to April this year. The priority will be to ensure the money goes into everyone’s wage packets as soon as possible. The amount will be adjusted accordingly for workers on part-time and term-time contracts.”
GMB members voted in favour of the pay offer in July.
Its national secretary, Rachel Harrison said: “This pay deal is welcome and must now appear in our local government and school members’ pay packets as soon as possible – including back pay.”
Looking towards 2025-26 pay deal
She added: “GMB is now looking forward to next year and will be consulting members on pay aspirations for 2025-26. We will be lobbying for this to be fully funded pay offer for schools and local government workers.”
Unite said that it had secured a mandate to strike in some areas, and would take action in these localities.
“Local government workers need a fair pay rise, after years of pay freezes and below inflation increases,” said its general secretary, Sharon Graham. “Where Unite members are prepared to stand up and take industrial action, the union will have their backs every step of the way.”
The result means that, for the second year running, unions, collectively, have accepted employers’ original pay offer after balloting for industrial action in protest against it.
A spokesperson for the national employers said: “We are pleased agreement has been reached so that employees can receive their long-awaited pay increase.”
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Repetitive show year after year without any success on either negotiation or meaningful industrial action.
my monthly payment to unison is higher than what I have received in pay awards. I have now decided to cancel the payments because honestly its just a waste of time. why waste money on sending out ballots in posts than just emailing link to every members to vote directly. Feel like being scammed after 8 years
Hi – the law requires a postal ballot – electronic balloting is illegal. Hopefully the new Government will change that.
I did not even receive a ballot paper
But you could have asked your steward this and they would have got you one. Simple really.
We have electronic balloting in Scotland
I am considering cancelling too and again this year as previous years, I have NOT been sent ballot papers!
I also don’t understand why the pay negotiations take so long.
Had this deal not been settled due to lack of responses, which makes me think if like me, others were not sent the ballot papers, we were not given the opportunity to vote for better pay, which is deserved! Unison have failed us!
I hope Unison publish the figures of the voting too.
Unison need to up their game to support their members, they need to act quicker in a timely manner!
I think it is important to be in a union therefore, will be looking at unions to join as I don’t feel support by Unison!
I started to feel the same and I’m thinking to cancel mine and my husband subscription.
Totally agree. Every year we wait months to get our pay rise,vthen get blasted with loads if tax.
I am unsure what the unions are doing for us, it seems like money wasted, especially when times are hard.
YOU are the union, just as is every member. There is no mythical beast that is “the union”
If “the union” is weak it’s because of its members inactivity.
Leaving leaves you even more vulnerable to exploitation!
Correct and thank you for this. Hopefully the repeal of the TU legislation by this govt will mean Unions as big as UNISON won’t have to meet a 50% threshold for strike action and can act on a simple majority. Will make it way easier. Also pay deals every 3 years will stop the issues yearly claims make in tax/UC contributions being messed up
It’s the same every year. It seems all the unions are now good for is delaying any pay increase by 9 months. We didn’t even get a change in hours or an extra day’s A/L. I’ve cancelled my union subscription. There’s no point in paying a monthly fee to a toothless organisation that can’t protect it’s members or negotiate a fair and realistic deal.
I agree!! I didn’t even get a ballot paper and I’m wondering how many others didn’t either. Unison didn’t even support me when requested. Don’t know why I bother paying the fee every month.
That’s a good point ,I paid unison for so many years and when I need help , I didn’t get any help and I was by my self.
I Feel scammed!!!
They literally every year act like they going to secure us more money. Accept the deal around September/October say it will be paid ASAP and get it in December been like that for last 3years on the council I work for. Joke
How about balloting members in April rather than October when winter and Christmas is coming and the money is 7 months overdue
Councils are in financial disarray and we as employees aren’t getting paid in line with what we should be paid year on year it’s lose lose. The unions split into 3 don’t help clearly don’t work together and their communication to its members is terrible
Working towards 25/26 honestly half our work force will be shredded by then with budget cuts so if you aren’t looking to get out of the public sector then best of luck
I couldn’t agree more. Why do the unions drag their feet all year with the ballots. It seems too convenient that for the past three years, pay deals are accepted just before Christmas, when they know people are unlikely to vote for strike action just before Christmas, and people associate having a backdated payment in their November pay as a positive. It stinks of corruption to me. I’m so glad I bailed on paying my union fees a few years back.
👍🏻💯
What has everybody said when they first gave us this amount wit till end over year and they expect
Utterly predictable. This yearly charade is becoming tiresome.
The charade is the complacent ever moaning social workers who expect their ‘entitlement’ but are too self absorbed and lazy to do something about it themselves. Pathetic. As will be the endless whining about their Unions.
typical opinion about social workers probably from someone who isnt a social worker and has no clue what we do daily. Social workers work hard daily and go above and beyond working over their hours and dont get the recognition they deserve.
So do millions of other workers! You work no less or more than others! Don’t degrade us by thinking you are working harder! Unsocial hours are a burden to everyone as is violence at work. Explain again why you are worth more than the rest of us! Just to be clear I voted for action.
At no point was ‘proud Social worker’ saying they work harder or are worth more than others; they were responding to the utterly uncalled for and unfair comment from Cynthia, who was calling them self-absorbed, pathetic and whining. It’s attitudes like that that set social workers’ experiences apart from others; criticism and negativity, even from fellow public servants – which is disgusting.
Just to be clear I’m not a social worker
I think ‘proud social worker’ is making the point that social workers work hard as I can testify as being one, it’s a very stressful and undervalued profession from my personal experiences
I think the points made are in response too Cynthias comments of social workers being ‘lazy’ and ‘self absorbed’ which are disrespectful to many hard working social workers who work above and beyond to keep the vulnerable in society safe.
I don’t think the comment suggests other groups don’t work hard as I know many professions do. Everyone who works hard deserves decent pay
Cynthia, you do realise its not just social workers that are represented by Unison, it is all local authority workers. However the reasons social workers probably vote no to striking, is because they support some of the most vulnerable people in our society and do not feel they are able to ‘abandon’ them while striking, and not because they are too self absorbed or lazy to do something about it themselves!
I didn’t even know they were balloting or I would have voted! Poor comms from Unison as usual. They are total waste of money. Lots of my colleagues are cancelling their memberships today!
I am not in a union but speaking with colleagues at work in adult social care i think 2 problems are evident. 3 colleagues I asked each stated they hadn’t received ballot papers to vote. To be fair they want a pay rise but were apathetic when it came to contacting their union to get a ballot paper to vote to strike. Another colleague didn’t recieve a ballot paper but felt strongly enough to get one from his union. Maybe it’s the lack of sending out of the papers is a major issue ?
Agree! I didn’t get one until I called (twice) and asked for it to be sent. I asked 5 colleagues and only one (who is a union rep may I add) received them! Seems a bit sus
Reminds me of when my collague was ranting against the union not sending tham something only to sheepishly admit they hadn’t updated their details.
I work for adult social care, and none of my colleagues or myself received ballot papers.
Trouble is unions work for the government!!
We were fully informed by unison all the way. I’m surprised to hear you did not know about it. Are you signed up for emails?
Yet again failed by the unions, unions should have made arrangements for ballots to be made sooner. Hook, line and sinker again, families are struggling to make ends meet and see the back pay as a lifeline before the Christmas period. Unison, GMB and Unite should be asking for 25/26 pay offer to be made months before it is due to be implemented in April, so that the decision can be made by employees, before there is a chance for employers to use the back pay as a shiny carrot on the end of the stick that they beat our wage packets with.
The unions scared to go up against their paymasters, aka The Labour Party
Err, Unions pay apolitical levy to the Labour Party and receive zero pennies from it themselves. Fact. As they say.
Will happen every year until labour reduce the 50% threshold the tories put in.
Have heard Labour want to reduce or abolish the 50% threshold.
I find this a real problem Walter, given the new ” Workers rights” push Labour are introducing two major changes on ballots.
Firstly no need for 50% turn out just a simple majority of those voted.so in unisons case that was 80% of a 29% turn out.
Secondly the ballots last for 12 months ie not 6 so strikes can be set up for a full year !
This means in the same result next year the pay rise for all would be still on hold , this dictated by just 23.2% of union members So 76.8% not wanting to strike , ket alone the vast majority of non union members !
So it seems we can look forward to the next few years of waiting longer for the same as offered in April , just like the last three years !!
And yet we wonder why people don’t join/stay in the union. Shambles as usual.
A real terms pay cut as always. Hopefully people see sense and move out of public sector when everyone is slapped with the budget next week. Should have accepted the offer months ago or balloted members much earlier.
It would be interesting to know what the proportion of people who voted for strike action were actually social workers?
It may be controversial but seeing as we get this pay deal again in November, why not just agree what is proposed in March for 25/26 and with 2 pay rises within 6 months, some of us might just be able to catch back up with our finances.
Give up chasing the unicorn of a huge pay rise that is never going to happen
people like you are the reason we never get anywhere and why the government walks all over us year after year.
This is not just for social workers it. Catering assistants in schools it’s teaching assistants. Housing officers. Library staff. Many of these are on the lower end of the pay rise scale and having to wait till November every year is unfair. Njc 3 years of full and final. Surely the idea of a negations not full and final so the only choice is stike. And who can really do that. Worst of all the part timers and those at the bottom pay scales. When they get their back payment will now have either uc or housing stopped due to the lump sun. And that would not have happened if it had been done timely.
Cannot believe people have accepted a pay cut on last year’s offer. Must be the only group to have accepted a pay cut.
Wait until the bills start arriving. We deserve more, support staff are the back bone.
This is why social workers as a profession should have a seperate pay award.
This is so true. So unfair that employees have to wait til the end of the year to receive the rise. For so many on UC the back pay reduces the UC payment so they get no benefit from it. My school will agree to pay the back pay over three months which does help in some ways so it might be worth asking if anyone is in this position.
Such short sighted decision making. Local Gov pay now falling well behind other (both private and gov sectors). We’re having serious issues recruiting competent staff and this will only get worse with continued real term pay cuts. Staff not applying to local gov and also actively leaving for other better paid opportunities.
Which all means less efficient services and increased costs and therefore less money for funded pay rises in coming years. The term downward spiral comes to mind…
Here’s an idea – instead of asking for a quite ludicrous increase (3k) actually negotiate sensibly. They offer £1290 so request 1.8k but realise may haven’t accept 1.6 or 1.5k. Do that over a number of years and hey presto up to the wage you believe we should get. It ain’t rocket science.
The Labour Party now have a golden opportunity to toughen up our depleted Trade Union Laws, as they have a large majority, bearing in mind that they failed to do this when under the Blair Administration.
I would hardly call an increase of 3k ludicrous when council workers are averagely worse off by 30% since 2010
Why should we have to accept lower offers over a number of years until we catch up with wages we’ve lost, when people are feeling the pinch now.
Shock horror. How utterly disappointing.
Unbelievable.. every year it’s the same old crap about it passing overwhelmingly but not enough turned out. Your in line with the government we get a lousy 2.5% while the rest of public set get more. We know where we stand I shall be pulling out this pathetic union once and for all.
Does the government think only nhs social workers work at hospitals. Most council staff work at hospitals not nhs social workers. Unfair as usual. And yet again our profession is the only one not to get any fair pay rise
What is increasingly frustrating is the hundreds of thousands of people that work in Local Government that would have welcomed this pay rise from the onnset. It is wrong that unions appear to have control over this year on year and those individuals not in a union suffer! For what?? It’s absolutely ridiculous and payrolls should be reflected at the start of every financial year with money in people’s pockets!
Alot of members said they didn’t even receive their ballot. It was never posted to them and despite requesting it again it still wasn’t sent. Unison is just not fit for purpose. Sabotaged from the start.
Put the new pay claim in today, we already know what it will be £3000 or 10%. At least we will have a few months head start. The unions have made a right mess again this year after they said it was going to be sorted a lot quicker this time around. No lessons learned from previous years.
I cancelled my Unison membership today after 20 years. I just fail to see what benefit they provide now and £270 is a lot of money for no real representation. Nationally they’re not nearly visible enough for local government workers and years of inadequate pay rises is a consequence.
The apathy expressed by union members should be the concern, not this continued desire to pick a fight for fights sake. It’ll be very interesting to see how the unions respond to next years pay offer now their pay masters are in Govt.
Appalling!! Local Government has endured the deepest cuts in the public sector and has now been granted the worse pay settlement in the public sector. Strikes are without doubt now needed so everyone understands what fails without these workers. It will make the junior doctors strikes and the rail worker strikes look like a ripple in the pond. The Unions now need to ask for 40% 24/25 to restore fairness in the sector.
TRIPLE LOL! (I love your sense of humour Timothy!)
Why dont they give us the pay rise offered in April and continue the fight for a better deal. Lots of comments about union not issuing ballot papers i received mine and plenty of reminders to vote i voted for action, the problem i see is that union membership is shrinking and those not in the union are happy for those paying in to pick up the tab but reap benefits of wins made by the union but unless those in the union take industrial action as other groups do we won’t be taken seriously and that is why the government keep getting away with the low pay rises compared to other government workers
When people see that being in a union makes no difference why would you want to join or continue being a member but its not the unions fault irs members need to take action and encourage those not in the union to join so more of our voices can be heard dont whine about the low pay rise if you done nothing to help fight for a better offer….
I think we do a good job and get a lot of abuse from drivers that try and past .as they drive on pavements2 get past and we put our lives at risk just 2 pick up recycling .that’s why we should receive this pay out.
Once again a complete waste of time. Those on lowest pay and on UC completely disadvantaged and have no benefit, as backdated pay wipes out UC for month. Great, remind me what the unions do again, it certainly isn’t for benefit of its members
100% this. UC won’t just be wiped out, this will close my claim entirely AND i will be taxed to the hilt on it. instead of it being awarded in April and boosting my wages by £100 a month, this actually penalises me 6 weeks before Christmas. And £270 of that £1200 goes to unison anyway! What did they do to earn it!?
Is it not possible for the ballot to be combined question (genuinely not aware if it’s possible or not?)
So when offer is made, a ballot asking questions that cover for both purposes with potential responses of;
“I vote to accept the pay offer” or “I vote to reject, and this is also confirmation I vote to strike” or “I vote to reject, however I am not agreeing to strike action”
Do one ballot before April (member data should already be up to date, another thing that wasted time this year!)
Either way, unions need to not mess around. Unison should have told the start of the year that they’re were not getting turnouts they needed; yes around 80% voted to reject the offer, but on around the same 29ish% that turned out for the strike ballot. So were never near meeting the minimum thresholds and just wasted time when a cold logical view back in May should have told them it was a dead duck (for once GMB did this).
Why don’t they explore a two year deal and give us at least a year where an award is on time and help LA employers with potential budgeting and forecasting.
Given the distinct needs of support staff, a dedicated union specifically representing their interests would be advantageous. While UNISON may not prioritise support staff, a tailored union could advocate more effectively for their concerns, such as fair wages, improved working conditions, and job security. Additionally, the union pay deal for support staff is often far less than that of teachers, nurses, and doctors, leading to feelings of inequity and undervaluation.
This disparity in pay can have a significant impact on the morale, job satisfaction, and retention of support staff. A dedicated union could negotiate for a more equitable pay scale, recognising the vital role that support staff play in providing essential services.
I’m not a social worker but work in education. The unions have failed us again not only by waiting to ballot in October but not realizing that some of the staff can’t afford to strike as they won’t get paid. These unions have managed to get Teaching staff 5.5% so why isn’t it the same for support staff and care workers. Without support staff and care workers etc the education system would collapse, we experience abuse and violence with no consequences and are expected to be ok with being treated as a second class citizen which is constantly undervalued and overlooked.
Unison do not care they do not push the ballot i know several members who did not get ballot paper. The support staff in all schools deserve better they need a union that actually can be bothered to try.
Actually a social worker of 29 years and counting. Defensiveness and blind fury does not and argument make proud Social Worker and fellow cohort. Understanding context and nuance usually dissipates feelings of being constantly put upon and the ensuing ennui. Lazy as in not even bothering to vote on Union ballots. If ones first reaction to lazy is to internalise it as an attack on your work then I think that says a lot about being “too self absorbed”. Who do you want recognition from? Who should be validating you working hard? Your employer who soon will replace you with AI tools? The public who as with all other things in life only care about the things that directly impact on their personal lives where no social worker ever treads? Your collagues who mostly believe they work harder than you, work longer hours than you, have a more complex caseload than you, receive zero support and supervision compared to you. So you are left with the people you provide your service to. If they think you are the caring, compassionate, committed person in their lives than you have your recognition and validation. Worth more than an MBE and a bauble from the Social Worker of the Year nonsense too that. And all of uou cancelling your Union membership and yet again whinging about “what have the Unions ever done fir me” answer this. When was the last time you attended a Union meeting? When was the last time you actually read a Union e-mail? Ever bothered to have workplace Union meetings? Do you have a shop steward? Have you ever stood to become one? Do you know anything about your local Union branch. Answer? Most of uou are “too busy” to etc etc. How do I know? Because I’ve been a steward for 15 years and the apathy followed by uninformed vitriol is palpable. Take some personal responsibility. Stop whining and get involved. There is no such thing as the Union by the way, the Union is you. If you choose to sit and do nothing you have no business commenting and raging after the event. Home truths and mirrors held are uncomfortable.
All the outraged of their parish are furiously gnashing their teeth once again at the outrage of being called out for their apathy and laziness. Keep it up Cynthia, we need to hear some home truths more than ever. As an aside interesting how responses overflow when it’s about pay but are a trickle or non existent when articles are about policy and research.
I left unison when it decided that males who self-identify as women are women. It makes every sex based equality assessment meaningless. If Unison can’t even manage the basics of protecting the sex based rights of 70% of its membership, then its not fit for purpose.
The county has gone to the dogs, Unions are a total waste of time. They work hand in hand with the government. If i hadn’t have left well when i realised how little fight most of its members have when it comes to the crunch and the will to actually achieve something i would have done the same as you for the reason you give above
Well done on you for making a stand, Keep paying your subs guys, give these Union bosses a big xmas bonus in return for the little they actually do, a nice top up to the millions they make by living hand in hand with the government . Unions define utter woke nonsense. Stop funding the madness
oh and next year, may as well just accept their measly offer from the off, they know now there is no will to fight and they have you all over a barrel. Rinse and repeat every year Teachers are more important that you all to them, that is clear. They are the ones that have fight in them though so they get what they want to teach all their poising in schools
Keep paying your taxes to fund proxy wars and line the pockets of utility companies and train operators. See it’s an easy game this. Carping from the sidelines because they can’t be bothered while spouting inanities about Taylor Swift is about the most ‘activist’ social workers get. Still it’s all the Unions fault so let’s smug along.
Why dont people strike for a better pay don’t you value the work you do. How can people blame the unions they need the members to agree to “strike”before they can take further action, we do nothing about it and expect change.Once again we our happy to take bread crumbs from the feeding hand and struggle on. The joke is on us!!
100% people moan but do not stick together anymore.
100%.
The same payment for everyone has to stop. The skilled workers are being devalued year on year. Social workers for example are paid a lot less than NHS for example.
Why isn’t LGA Pay linked to other civil service pay in negotiations? We are all offering public services
Strange take this. Skilled workers, by which I assume you mean social workers, are only devalued if you believe NHS workers are less skilled then us. Which patently isn’t the case. That Local Authorities are happy for lower pay settlements to ‘balance’ their budgets says more about our employers than about our NHS colleagues.
Really fed up now. I agree with what Peter said. This is a disgrace. Every year we wait over 6 months for a deal. Really disappointed Drif.
We have a national shortage of Social Workers which doesn’t appear to hit the media like our colleagues not employed by County or City councils. We had a pay freeze for many years and then year on year we appear to accept the 2% or less pay deals.
What are are unions doing?
Social Workers employed by health have just received a 5.5% increase in their pay, do no longer are able to compete with the pay for agency Social workers. No wonder very experienced Social Workers are leaving to work for agencies or health.
Lets remember, health and social care would not survive without each other so this offer is an absolute insult to us as professionals.
It is again a mockery this years pay increase. But also in hindsight workers complain about it and have the chance to vote against what employers offer then end up not voting and seeing it through, unions are then left at a loose end, people fo not stand together anymore.
So the employer gained a nint in interest on money they should have paid out earlier while the workers have possibly been charged through the nose on debt which could have been paid if this stupid union had stayed out of it.
I gave up on my membership this year, they prolong the negotiations every year so the Union representative can appear to be earning their money. At the same time the workers could have done with the pay rise back in April to cover the increase in bills. When was the last time the union achieved a better offer? Unison have had their day and I for one am no longer funding their expenses for day trips to attend talking shop’s
If you’re still paying for your union membership at this stage, you’re part of the problem. Honestly, i don’t see any added value from being a member. They are just like the politicians.
Perhaps a definition of Union would help. There is no such entity as a Trades Union. It only exists because it has members ergo the Union is you and the rest of the members. If you are all “too busy” to be active in your Union and expect others to do the graft on your behalf and for your own benefit you have no legitimacy in criticising Unions. I think a new law should be introduced so that non-union members should not get the benefits and the pay increases they negotiate. All non-union members should be compelled to negotiate their own personal pay rises and work conditions, “too busy ” or not.
its ok getting a lump sum,but those on uc have their payments stopped so see no real benifit!.
Social workers, most of whom pride themselves in being knowledgeable and experts in almost every aspect of national law, seem strangely ignorant on what legal requirements trade unions have to meet before they can ballot their members. Howling from the margins out of ignorance is just embarrassing. More so when it’s out of complacency. Can’t use the word Cynthia has as it upsets folks too much.
We have to know the law relating to our areas of work, so in my case children, the acts plus LA guidance, fostering and adoption, case law, plus a working knowledge of mental health, plus care act, housing, benefits, youth offending. In addition we need a good understanding of counselling, psychology, sociology, social policy, child development plus goodness knows how many theories which underpin our interventions. We need to know all of this for when we are recommending life changing decisions for these children. I’m so sorry that our pretty little heads are too full up to know the percentages required for a ballot. We all have knowledge and expertise in different areas, none better or worse.
Knowing your employment rights has nothing to do with your pretty little head. Celebrating ignorance is not clever either. No one expects universal knowledge from social workers, they are too busy to engage with the world no doubt, but not knowing something that directly effects you is akin to saying I have to know about a little about a lot of ‘things’ for my job so I can’t boil my brain by having also to know where rain comes from.
This isn’t a suprise at all, for the third year in a row the unions have achieved nothing. If they are not going to do anything then they need to but out, and stop delaying everyone’s pay rises for 7/8 months every year!
You could always ask your employer to negotiate with you directly as an individual. Go on try it.
Lots of people saying they are cancelling the union subscription because union members didn’t vote for strike action. How does this help?
YOU are the union. If you want an effective union join it, lobby your colleagues to join it and then vote to strike. That’s it. How does doing nothing solve the problem?
Just have 1 union not bloody 3
People don’t realise that they play into the governments hands with this. They will be sat there laughing at how easy it is in the country to get away with what they do. If people are looking at the short term and want a few quid in the bank for xmas by giving in instead of holding out and actually causing the government some hassle so they have to re-look at it. You think a new government wants industries striking when they have just got in power. we will never know now because it’s easier to just quit than fight . People quitting Unison, good on you , there are not enough like minded people to form a fight necessary to get things done. shameful
The outcome of this is the result of growing financial burdens on workers.
Get things done quicker, we then won’t be struggling as badly financially and desperate, that we have no choice but, to accept.
Me and my husband both work full time, we do not live beyond our means and still struggle.
We also work in a sector where we do not think we are worthy and should be grateful because we help others, so it is the nature of the beast.
Unfortunately, people cancel memberships when they don’t feel like they are getting a service and have to make cut backs. I did mine 6 months ago.
I did not receive my ballot even though I text/called 3 times, clearly we are not valued.
Because doing nothing and expecting someone somewhere anywhere to do the graft is the social worker way in the me me me validate me narcissism of the “I’m to busy” self indulgence that passes for social work these days.
When will the 25/26 pay claim be submitted
When they come back with full and final offer
Can you send mick lynch in please
Hello, your photo used in the article is AI as one hand has 5 fingers 1 thumb
Apologies for that but thanks for pointing it out. I’ve changed the image.
Some Home Office staff are getting an inflation-busting 9% pay rise, the department has confirmed.
The union representing civil servants, PCS, welcomed the deal, which is nearly double the 5% agreed for most civil servants.
The union representing support staff are useless!!!! They should a shame of themselves.
I’ve never seen so many responses to a news article! It’s a pay rise, however negotiated!
Those of you cancelling your union membership. Please remember your union membership isn’t just about negotiating pay deals. Representation at disciplinary proceedings, conditions at work, the employee detail in contracts, sick pay, annual leave, working hours etc ARE because of your unions !
Come on Mark. Unison is dead. a total waste of money and time. accept it bud
Who would’ve thought that all those be kind validating the supremacy of lived experience social workers were no different than any other self absorbed consumer. I didn’t get what I want from “the union” so I’m going to cancel my membership and stick with subscribing to Netflix. Trouble is chums you are not able to negotiate your own pay and conditions and if you were how would you manage your own negotiations given how “busy” and “exhausted” you are sacrificing your own well being to rescue the ‘vulnerable and meet the ever more increasing demands of those with ‘complex needs’? Blather and hot air as always.
Dear me Simone you’ll be banished to the traitorscorner for daring to suggest such impure imputation on the wonderfulness of our colleagues. Ofcourse we expect others to unquestioningly accept everything we say being the only truth. Why can’t we be valued on our own terms? Why can’t our brilliance be just accepted and we be paid accordingly? But this is getting away from the point. The ponit being that social workers are no different to most of our fellow citizens in ignorance, narcissism, fantasy politics, and selfishness. It’s just that most workers aren’t constantly urged to talk about how skilled, how diligent, how wow they are while their fellows nod their heads vigorously. Social work could do with a dose of Simone realism but ofcourse that won’t happen. Rage against not being constantly validated is the default. That and making a more than passable attempt at being a tantrum throwing toddler when disagreed with. There is some tongue in cheek and sarcasm here but that doesn’t negate the assault on reason that the constant carping creates. Which even annoys fellow social workers. Hatsoff to Mithran and colleagues for having to moderate all this.
Just cancel your Unison memberships, what are we paying the money for. Zero fight in the country, A good opportunity to fight a government who lies to us about being for the working people and people give in.
we are weak as a country, no wonder the government get a free run. deary me
well done to those who have fight in them and did vote to strike. Sadly the rest let us down
Social workers are too important and indispensable to go on strike for better pay and conditions. We are heroes to the point of compromising our own health inorder to help our clients. If we weren’t there where would the poor children be? (Just don’t mention we going on holiday when it suits us though, it gives the game away.)
Nothing original to contribute, just wanted to be the 100th person to post.
Could not let your efforts go unnoticed… brilliant 👏
I assume all those who have stopped their union membership will not accept the deal agreed by the unions? After all the union did nothing for you given you are not a member? There is a word for pocketing the cash while rubbishing the people who got it for us but I always struggle to spell hypocrisy without predictive text. Shameless I can spell.
You do know that we have the power but just don’t have the fight. Unions just don’t work they play into the governments hands whilst the Union top bosses get rich, it is a no lose for them. Time we actually got together has a country and took to the streets, sit down motorway protests or whatever it takes. As it stands you are wasting your money and time.
Those who are so hard up that they couldn’t afford to strike maybe you should think about saving some money and not paying Unison because by voting not to strike for your own selfish reasons you are actually ruining it for everyone. Why are you even in Unison? ask yourselves